Russian Vodka And Australian Leather
by Bomani Akila Neteru
Summary: He was a giant of a man that was misunderstood and thought to be stupid. She was a snarky, dirty blonde, Australian computer junkie. He was willing to be tamed, but only by her. She would love to teach him the taste of Australian leather, and to taste the Russian Vodka he offered. Vlad/Maggie Rated M for a reason.


There he was again. Just standing there. The blonde Australian scowled in the reflection of her makeup compact mirror before snapping it shut and stuffing it back in her bag. That damn Russian was just standing by the door, looking every bit like a lost puppy. On odd days, when he finished his work early or had the day off, or even on the weekends, he would follow her around like a dog would its owner.

Though he kept his distance from her quarters when she retreated there, respecting her sanctuary.

Honestly, she found it to be a bit creepy, and confusing. What reason would the six foot four inch giant of a man have to follow her tiny ass around? "Maggie! Did you upload those documents?" The sound of her coworker's voice made her jump before she answer. "Yeah, there up in section three."

"Great! Thank you!"

"No problem." That taken care of, Maggie turned and headed for the door. The fine hairs along the back of her neck rose in a salute as she passed the passive faced mountain of man by the name of Vladimir.

She shivered, one of his hands could easily break one of her bones, or crush her skull in. Maggie could practically feel the warmth rolling off of his large, heavily muscled body in waves, and she could _definitely_ feel the heat of his gaze on the back of her head. Maggie sped up as she exited the security room, her work room which was filled to the brim with computers, and down the hall. Like she predicted, without fail, Vlad followed her out the door at a slow, loping pace, letting her get a nice twenty or so feet in front of him.

The computer analyst clenched her teeth in frustration, blonde hair swishing with every fast paced movement she made. Whipping around a corner, she practically flew into the mess hall, leaving the large man behind. Huffing irritably, Maggie reached up and pulled her blonde hair out of its tight, professional bun, easing the headache those tense strands had been causing. She proceeded to run her hands through the dirty blonde hair, her scalp tingling pleasantly at the scratching motions she made.

Putting the hair accessory in her jean jacket pocket, Maggie stepped up and got a tray of what the military base called 'food'. She eyed the questionable pile of substance on her plate and headed over to the table she normally sat at. Today, several of her coworkers were sitting around it, twittering to one another. Scowling, the Australian slammed her tray down and tucked herself into her chair next to a burgundy haired computer technician.

The other women just looked amused, used to the fire tempered computer analyst.

"Hello Madison." Ruby, a crimson red head, chuckled across from her, and Maggie scowled in reply to her last name.

"Oh! Oh look at that- that large fellow, Vladimir, was it? Yes, he's watching you!" Brandy, a brunette twittered, giggling and nudging her side from where she sat to Maggie's left.

"Goddammit. What's it take to lose him?" The blonde growled, hunching over her food,

"Oh honey, if I had _that _hunk of meat following me around, I don't think I'd mind half as much as you do~" Brandy giggled, "He seems to fancy you, maybe you'd best talk to the poor guy, hm?"

"Talk to him? He's _stalking _me!" Maggie hissed at the brunette,

"Did you all hear about the rec. room incident?" Ruby cut in, leaning in over the table so she could get everyone's attention.

"No, what happened?" The burgundy haired woman, Piper, pitched in,

"Well, I was in the bot's rec. room, and one of the soldier's made a _very _inappropriate comment about Maggie." Ruby began in a hushed voice, as if telling some great secret.

Maggie clenched her silverware tighter at the gossip, "And Vladimir grabs a hold of 'im and just hangs him up, plum in the air like!" The woman made a wild gesture and the other twittering dolts gasped in shock. Ruby nodded, "He wouldn't let the man go until he had apologized. He was threatening bodily harm to him too. I've never seen anyone go so pale!"

"Don't you see darling? He's gotta at least be interested in ya'!" Brandy exclaimed to Maggie, looking excited,

"No, no, and no." Maggie stood with her tray, "I really doubt it was anything more than what he would do for any of his other co-workers or friends. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more work to attend to." She really didn't, in fact she had very little to do, but she honestly couldn't stand to stay near those gossiping air heads. And as she marched away, she cared very little that Vladimir was watching her.

Let him watch. Maggie would get an answer out of him later for his actions these past two weeks. With that in mind, she threw her tray away along with the almost completely untouched food, and left the mess hall. Behind her, she could hear the now familiar sound of Vladimir quietly following, like a giant, lumbering pup. The blonde clenched her fists angrily and sped up, hoping to leave the tall man in the dust.

She whipped around a corner quickly, and smacked into a uniformed wall of flesh. Yelping, she nearly fell on her ass, but was caught by strong arms. "Woah! Easy there!" A male voice joked with a chuckle, and he straightened her up on her feet.

"Oh my goodness, I am so, _so _sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." Maggie apologized, wincing. The soldier was tall and good looking- and it was clear he knew it too. He grinned widely down at her, "No harm done. You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. So… I'm just… gonna go now…" The awkward blonde began to move around him and leave. Her heart dropped when those strong hands on her refused to let go of her.

"What's the rush? Why don't you let me take you out this weekend as an apology, huh? It's partially my fault after all." He grinned down at Madison like a predator would its prey,

"No thank you, I have work to do, please let me go." Maggie attempted to tug herself out of his grasp, and the soldier's expression icy and stormy,

"Why not?" He was obviously not used to being turned down.

"Because I'm not fucking interested in you, douche bag!" Maggie's temper flared and she snapped at him.

Just as it was about to turn nasty, large hands grabbed a hold of the man's shoulders, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him against the wall. A giant of a man pinned the soldier there with a dark rumble, "Vlad thinks she already asked you to let go." The big man told him, and the soldier paled.

"H-Hey, I wasn't doin' anything… you can put me down, I didn't know-"

"Leetle man knew she wanted you to let go. Leetle man did not listen. Vlad will teach leetle _boy _what is like to be ball." The Russian bared his teeth in a grin,

"Hey! Hey! Listen to me! Dammit Vladimir, let him go, okay? He's a douche, don't listen to him, it's okay, I'm alright." Maggie wasn't sure _why _he was protective of her, but she couldn't very well let him murder the idiot.

Large brown eyes moved over to focus on her, and for some reason, Maggie's heart sped up. For a moment, she didn't think he would listen to her. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, the Russian dropped the nameless soldier on his feet. The man was quick to bolt off, terrified of being torn apart by the big man's bare hands. "Lyubov' is alright?" The strange Russian word sent warmth shooting through her. She didn't know what it mean, but the way Vlad said it- it was almost sinful. Maggie nodded hesitantly.

"Good. Vladimir was worried." Vlad rumbled softly, then scowled, "He should have listened. Is wrong to force someone into doing what you want." Maggie could only nod, her courage from earlier seeping away. He was huge. If she got mouthy, like she did with that soldier, bad things could happen very quickly. And she wasn't strong enough to stop him.

"Lyubov' is nervous." The Russian rumbled softly, knowingly, and carefully knelt so he was closer to her height.

Vladimir wasn't smart. He'd be the first to admit that he was about as smart as a box of rocks. Being book smart was not his forte. But when it came to people's emotions and expressions, he was a genius.

Maggie's heart tripled in its efforts to pump blood around her body, pounding like a herd of horses stampeding wildly. One large hand, with enough power to rip limbs from bodies, brushed a loose strand of hair back from her face with more gentleness than she thought him capable of. Vlad seemed almost hesitant in the way he handled her, as if she were a glass rose, so easily broken. Which, to him, she probably was, but that was beside the point. She swallowed thickly, holding perfectly still, breath held in her lungs.

"What… does that mean…? Lyubov'..." Maggie forced the question from her lips; the Russian word was smooth and like dark chocolate when it came from Vladimir, when it came from her, it was clunky and jagged. Vladimir chuckled softly, his fingers trailing down her cheek and along her jaw before dropping away and back to himself. "If Lyubov' wants answers, then she will come to Vlad's quarters this evening. Vlad will explain all." He rumbled softly, as if afraid of scaring her off, and slowly stood to his full height.

He left her there, standing stock still and wide eyed, wondering what the _hell _just happened.

Maggie continued about her day in a daze, her mind whirling. She continued to think back to the utterly _gentle _and _tender _way Vladimir had brushed her hair back, and how he had come to her rescue like a raging thunderstorm, fully ready to tear the man apart just for holding onto her and not letting go. By the end of the day, she was feeling very nervous, and about ready to run in the other direction.

But Maggie Madison did not run.

No, she would face this head on. And so, she found herself walking across the island to the barracks on the other side, built for the stranger recruits, such as Vlad, and visiting delegates and the like. Despite her conviction to face this, she still hesitated at his door. Her clenched fist rose to knock, then fell back at her side. 'Stupid, he probably didn't mean it. He won't want to see you.' She tried to convince herself, and was just about to walk away, when the door opened. "Hello lyubov'." Vladimir rumbled, taking up most of the space of the doorway, "Come, much to speak about."

He drew back into his quarters, and Maggie found herself with little choice but to follow. So, she stepped in after him and tried not to show her nervousness. The giant closed the door and headed over to his tiny kitchen. He was of officer rank, and so he had managed to earn himself a better living space. Humming a Russian tune, the big man poured them both a cup of tea, "Vlad has waited for you, lyubov'. There is much to discuss, da?" He came over and set the cups of tea on his old round table surrounded by four chairs.

His quarters were small and cozy. A bed, large enough for two of Vlad's size to lay on, was tucked into a corner. There was a couch off to the side, old, black and worn looking, then the table and chairs, wooden and well loved looking, slightly chipped here and there. The kitchen itself was also small, but functional. And off to the side, she could see another door, which she guessed led to the bathroom.

"I… guess?" Maggie questioned, and nearly slapped herself. Honestly! It wasn't like she hadn't ever been in another man's space, or talked to one, "So, why've you been stalking me, huh?" The Australian questioned with more courage than she currently felt. The Russian rumbled softly in thought as he slowly moved around the table from where he had set the cups of tea, and coming over to her.

Maggie held her ground, refusing to back up, even when Vlad's chest was in her face and he was looking straight down at her with smoldering eyes, his beard successfully hiding his lower face from her view. She looked straight up at him defiantly. "Stalking? No. Guarding, courting, yes." His deep voice rumbled, and she nearly choked,

"C-Courting?"

"As to lyubov's question…" He leaned down, and she could smell his musky, beautiful scent practically engulfing her, "A question with many answers." He breathed softly before pulling back and moving back to the table, leaving Maggie with a reeling head and lungs that refused to drag air in.

"Come, sit and drink with Vlad." The giant sat down in one of the chairs that seemed too small for his large body, making it creak in protest. The blonde nodded dazedly and sat down in the chair across from him. The Russian sipped at his tea for a moment, eyes closed, leaving the Australian to her thoughts. She wasn't sure what this was about, the big man almost seemed to be tiptoeing around the subject, but it sent warmth racing through her entire body. Shakily, Maggie picked up her tea cup and sipped at it.

Carefully, she set it down after a moment. "...Vladimir. What is this about, exactly?" She cleared her throat, "All of this."

The giant thought for a moment, cup on the table, his gaze fixated on the small amount of brown liquid left in it, "Is difficult to say." he said slowly, "Lyubov' must promise she will not run." dark, nearly black eyes looked up at her, swirling with heat. Maggie nodded, something within her tingling with excitement and apprehension, her heart hammering in her chest. The Russian man slowly stood and moved around the table, his eyes never leaving her. Maggie held perfectly still, even when he was so close to her, she wouldn't have been able to stand up at all. He was right in her personal space.

Slowly, he leaned down, dark eyes taking in her reactions and judging if he should continue or not. Maggie continued to stare up at him, her own eyes wide, breaths slow and deep as she focused on continuing to work her lungs. Vladimir leaned in so close, she could feel his warm, musky breath on her flesh. She shivered, and he moved closer, so close that if she twitched forwards, their lips would connect. Her body tingled.

And then he kissed her.

Maggie froze for a moment before she shut her eyes and leaned into it. Vladimir's lips were warm and soft, smooth and gentle. He handled her as if she were a china doll capable of shattering at any moment. Clearly he was afraid of hurting her. One large, warm hand came up to gently cup the side of her face. Maggie could feel the callouses on his palm as they roughly moved against her skin. Carefully, her hands came up to brace against his chest, unsure of the large man towering over her.

Slowly, Vlad pulled back, dark eyes scanning her face. Maggie sucked in breath, heart flying wildly in her chest, eyes wide. "I…" Words failed her,

"Lyubov' is Russian for love." The giant quietly informed her, "Maggie… has Vlad's heart… here." He gently touched a large finger against the flesh over her heart, "Vladimir is sorry if he scared Maggie… he does not know how to court right…" The blonde let out a breathy laugh at that.

"You courted me _your _way, Vladimir…" Maggie slowly slid her arms over his shoulders, thinking back to the previous two weeks of the giant's silent protection, her heart warming and swelling. He had never once pressed, never once pushed. He had simply been there, a silent guardian, never expecting anything in return.

The large Russian rumbled softly in reply, like a large, pleased kitten, "Then lyubov' is not as against this as Vladimir thought?" he questioned.

"I think I'd be willing to give this a try." Maggie murmured softly, slowly,

"Vlad will take very good care of lyubov'." Vladimir promised her quietly, large arms wrapped around her small frame in a gentle hug. Maggie closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest, listening to the great heart within thumping away steadily.

Yes, she would give this a try.

***Three months later***

Vladimir was overjoyed. Bobbi had been stationed at _his _base. He could see her, enjoy her company and- Maggie was pissed for some reason. Why was his lyubov' pissed? Vlad panicked. He didn't want the blonde pissed. Pissed was bad. Pissed meant she wouldn't talk to him for a day or two. And when she was angry, he would sit outside her door and plead for forgiveness until she gave it to the giant.

Because, if Vlad was completely honest with himself, he loved her. He loved the little explosive blonde. With her bouncy dirty blonde colored hair, cute Australian accent, and fiery temper. He wanted her to be happy, healthy, and safe. Nothing less. So, Vladimir hesitantly followed Maggie around after he had greeted Bobbi, terrified of her anger. However, he also had duties to perform, and so he couldn't stick too close to her all day.

Vladimir really hated his job sometimes. Like today for instance, his love was pissed off, and they had decided to hold him afterwards to move some crap around. Sure, he was large and compliant- but dammit he wanted to go to Maggie! Snarling, the large giant finally finished hauling the last crate off of the plane and onto the pallet. Finished, he stomped past his superior, who shivered as he witnessed the giant's fraying temper. It wouldn't be good to ask any more of him, lest he learn just why Vladimir was so respected and feared by the men who had gone on missions with him.

Vlad had a mission in mind as he stormed down the halls, making sure he looked angry enough to keep everyone out of his way. His mission was simple. Get to Maggie, fix the issue. Find out what made her unhappy, eliminate it. Simple, but not always easy. He came to a stop outside her door and took a deep breath, temper cooling down. He rubbed his face gently as he thought of the blonde woman behind that door.

Licking his lips, the Russian raised a massive fist and knocked on the door, making it shudder slightly. For a moment, there was silence. Then, an Australian voice called for him to enter. Cocking his head to the side but brushing it off, Vladimir opened the door and stepped in, shutting it behind him firmly. "Vlad, is that you?" He could hear her from the bathroom, and a soft smile curled onto his face in response to her voice.

"Yes." Vladimir rumbled,

"Good. Who was that today?" Maggie was straight to the point, as always,

"Is Bobbi. Adopted younger sister." He puffed up proudly. His younger sister was a strong one, one he was happy to have as a friend.

"So… nothing is going on…?"

"No. Vlad has never thought of Bobbi as anything but close friend. Lyubov' is only one Vlad is interested in." The Russian assured her as best he could with his broken English.

"Mmmhmm…" She hummed in response as Vladimir sat down on her bed. It was smaller than his, but still big enough that he could lay down and sleep comfortably. He heard clicking, like… heels on the floor. Tilting his head, Vladimir's brow furrowed in question. Maggie wore heels a lot, yes, but she was usually bare foot when in her quarters.

Vladimir closed his eyes and sighed through his nose as he listened to Maggie's footsteps. So she was jealous. Nothing was more dangerous than a jealous woman, Vlad knew. But how to assure her he was completely faithful and uninterested in anyone but her? Sudden, soft, feminine hands slid over his shoulders, making him jump slightly in surprise. He had been so immersed in his own thoughts and worries, he had lost track of Maggie, allowing her to sneak up on him. He relaxed with a soft rumble, keeping his eyes closed to better focus on her touch. Maggie gently massaged Vlad's shoulders, making him go utterly limp under her touch, head falling forward. He was putty for her to mold.

Then, it stopped, and Vladimir couldn't contain the questioning noise that came from deep within his chest. As quick as a bolt of lightning, the Russian was shoved onto his back and straddled. Brown eyes flew open in shock to focus on a certain dirty blonde sitting on his waist with gorgeously curvy legs on either side of him. Vladimir's mouth went dry. Maggie was clothed in a leather halter styled corset and underwear with panty hose and high heels. His head reeled as he stared up at her face, hints of makeup accenting her eyes and making them pop, seeming brighter than before.

"L-lyubov'?" He questioned unsurely,

"How about I teach you what Australian leather tastes like?" Maggie questioned softly, a thumb running over his bottom lip. Ah, Vladimir thought, so this is about marking territory. His eyes darkened with smoldering heat at the thought. Leaning up, Vlad caught her mouth in a searing kiss, she returned it for several moments before she shoved him down firmly, a smirk twisting on her face. Maggie enjoyed having control over this large, wild animal. And Vladimir had to admit, he enjoyed it just as much as she did.

He was alright with her taming him. In fact, he preferred she did. No one else would have him at their feet like this. Only her. It sent heat straight to his groin at the thought.

"If my lyubov' will show me that, then I will teach her the taste of vodka." Vladimir rumbled in a soft, smooth, dark voice, his English straightening itself out slightly. Maggie shivered and grinned down at him widely, eyes sparking, "That sounds wonderful to me." she practically purred, and then descended upon him.

Vladimir rumbled in appreciation.

(Sweet and sexy was my goal this time around.

Oh. My. Primus. I am so freaking tired. *Falls over*  
>Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my lapse into sanity! Please leave me a review with your thoughts!~ :D)<p> 


End file.
